Fruits Basket (フルーツバスケット, Furūtsu Basuketto?), sometimes abbreviated Furuba (フルバ, Furuba?), is a shōjo manga series by Natsuki Takaya (pseudonym). It was serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese magazine Hana to Yume (Flowers and Dreams), published by Hakusensha, from 1999 to 2006. The manga won the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo. The series was adapted as a 26-episode anime series, directed by Akitaro Daichi, which won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 2001.The word "Fruits" in the title is always plural; the spelling originates from the transcription of the English word "fruit" into Japanese, where because there is no "tu" sound, "tsu" is used instead. The title comes from the name of a popular game played in Japanese elementary schools, which is alluded to in the series.
[edit] Story: Fruits Basket follows the life of the student Tohru Honda, who was recently orphaned when her mother, Kyoko Honda, died in a car accident. After that, Tohru lived with her grandfather, but when remodeling is needed on the house, Tohru resorts to living in a tent and holds down a job to support herself. Despite suffering many hardships, Tohru remains her optimistic self.
One day, Tohru comes upon a house in the forest that she is temporarily living in which is the home of Shigure Sohma and fellow classmate Yuki Sohma, of the Sohma family. When the Sohmas discover that Tohru is living in a tent, they are quite surprised by her inner strength. The entire area is Sohma property, and Tohru pleads to live upon the property in her quaint tent (affectionately dubbed "her castle"). Feeling sorry for her, and desperate to end their days of filthy living conditions, the Sohmas offer her their spare room in exchange for cooking and housework. When her tent is buried that night in a landslide, burying her mother's picture and school clothes, she has no option but to accept. Soon after she moves in, Kyo Sohma comes to challenge Yuki.
Tohru soon discovers the Sohma family's secret, and the reason why Yuki is so private and secretive at school: thirteen members of the family are possessed by the 12 animal spirits of the Chinese Zodiac ("Jyūnishi" in Japanese) and the spirit of the cat who was left out of the Zodiac according to legend. They transform into animals when hugged by the opposite gender, when they are under a great amount of stress, or weak in any way (such as being sick). When she promises to keep their secret, the Sohmas allow Tohru to keep her memories rather than hypnotically erasing them, a fate that had previously befallen anyone not on the "Inside" of the Sohma family who had discovered the secret.
The story follows the lives of Tohru and the Sohma family, as they deal with each other and a society where neither quite fits in, as well as the feared Akito Sohma, head of the Sohma family. Soon, after living with the Sohma family she began to like, then love all of the Sohmas.
One day, Tohru comes upon a house in the forest that she is temporarily living in which is the home of Shigure Sohma and fellow classmate Yuki Sohma, of the Sohma family. When the Sohmas discover that Tohru is living in a tent, they are quite surprised by her inner strength. The entire area is Sohma property, and Tohru pleads to live upon the property in her quaint tent (affectionately dubbed "her castle"). Feeling sorry for her, and desperate to end their days of filthy living conditions, the Sohmas offer her their spare room in exchange for cooking and housework. When her tent is buried that night in a landslide, burying her mother's picture and school clothes, she has no option but to accept. Soon after she moves in, Kyo Sohma comes to challenge Yuki.
Tohru soon discovers the Sohma family's secret, and the reason why Yuki is so private and secretive at school: thirteen members of the family are possessed by the 12 animal spirits of the Chinese Zodiac ("Jyūnishi" in Japanese) and the spirit of the cat who was left out of the Zodiac according to legend. They transform into animals when hugged by the opposite gender, when they are under a great amount of stress, or weak in any way (such as being sick). When she promises to keep their secret, the Sohmas allow Tohru to keep her memories rather than hypnotically erasing them, a fate that had previously befallen anyone not on the "Inside" of the Sohma family who had discovered the secret.
The story follows the lives of Tohru and the Sohma family, as they deal with each other and a society where neither quite fits in, as well as the feared Akito Sohma, head of the Sohma family. Soon, after living with the Sohma family she began to like, then love all of the Sohmas.
Main characters
Tohru Honda (本田 透, Honda Tōru?) Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese), Laura Bailey (voice actress) (English)
An orphaned high school student, Tohru ends up living in the same house with Shigure, Yuki and Kyo Sohma. She loves to cook, is an excellent housekeeper, and has an after school job as a custodian to help pay her tuition fees (since she doesn't want to bother her grandfather or her "house mates"). She is always polite, and is extremely kind, loving, and naive; in fact, the other characters usually have to tell her that she needs to look out for her own interests. She wishes to understand the curse as part of her caring personality. She wishes to help anyone she can.
Tohru Honda (本田 透, Honda Tōru?) Voiced by: Yui Horie (Japanese), Laura Bailey (voice actress) (English)
An orphaned high school student, Tohru ends up living in the same house with Shigure, Yuki and Kyo Sohma. She loves to cook, is an excellent housekeeper, and has an after school job as a custodian to help pay her tuition fees (since she doesn't want to bother her grandfather or her "house mates"). She is always polite, and is extremely kind, loving, and naive; in fact, the other characters usually have to tell her that she needs to look out for her own interests. She wishes to understand the curse as part of her caring personality. She wishes to help anyone she can.
Kyo Sohma (草摩 夾, Sōma Kyō?) Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (Japanese), Jerry Jewell (English)
Kyo is the cat, an animal not in the zodiac, but which legend says would have been if it had not been tricked by the rat into missing the induction feast and wishes to get back at the rat ever since. Kyo hates Yuki (the rat) and is determined to defeat him before high school ends. After the alleged suicide of his mother, and abandonment of his father, Kyo has hated Yuki for everything wrong with his life. He made a bet with Akito: if he defeats Yuki before he finishes high school, he'll officially be accepted along with the other Jyuunishi by the Sohmas. If he does not, however, Kyo would be forced to live in a small room, the neko/cat room, within the Sohma estate for the rest of his life, which means being locked up in a cage made specially for the cat Jyuunishi. Despite many months of strict training, Kyo has never managed to even land a decent blow on Yuki. Instead, he continually gets beat up by Yuki, often started by himself. Kyo runs away even from the people that want to help him, because he is ashamed of his true form, which he turns into when his rosary bead bracelet made from the bones of a miko (the red ones are blood stained) is removed. When Tohru sees his true form, however, she still accepts him and begs him to stay with her, which forms a bond of sorts between the two. He wants to be appreciated and be special like Yuki. Orange is his natural hair color; a fact proven by Haru. Tohru's favorite zodiac animal, as a child, was the cat. Tohru even told her mother that she had an idea: "I know! I'll stop being a dog and I'll be a cat!" Referring to her being born in the year of the dog.
Yuki Sohma (草摩 由希, Sōma Yuki?) Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (Japanese), Eric Vale (English)
Yuki is the rat of the zodiac. Known as "Prince Charming" or "Prince Yuki" at school, Yuki is very attractive and refined, and has his own fan club at school, but has a hard time being social. He wishes that he could be with people as friends, rather than admired and worshiped from afar, no thanks to his infamous PYFC (Prince Yuki Fan Club). Yuki has suffered a traumatic childhood at the hands of Akito, the head of the Sohma clan, who locked him up and tortured him. Because of this, Yuki has a somewhat low sense of worth and is claustrophobic. With Tohru's help, however, Yuki is gradually able to loosen up. He is jealous of Kyo because he thinks Kyo can have a normal life, which is something Yuki has always wanted. He is often considered "absolutely the most adorable little mouse in the world" when he is crying in the manga. Because of Tohru always giving advice and being able to be herself around others he often also looks up to her as a mother figure.
Meaning of the title
The phrase "fruits basket" means simply a basket of fruit in Japan. In Japan, where arable land is in short supply and fresh food very expensive, a basket of fresh fruit is a costly and desirable item. It is written in Japanese as フルーツバスケット, fu-ru-u-tsu-ba-su-ke-t-to, where the 'tsu' kana represents the 'ts' in "fruits", making it plural.
The series is named after a game, Fruits Basket, in which everyone sits in a circle, and the leader of the game names each person after a type of fruit; when the name of a child's fruit is called, that child gets up and has to find a new seat. When Tohru first played this game in kindergarten, she was assigned "Onigiri" (rice ball), which was fine with her, since she always thought that onigiris are delicious. However, everyone but her was called, and she was the only one left sitting when she realized that an onigiri isn't a fruit and that she'd never be called. She was purposefully excluded from the game -- another one of the mean tricks that other kids used to pull on her. She realizes that an onigiri can never belong in a Fruits Basket, even one time saying, "A rice ball doesn't belong in a fruits basket". Then Tohru starts feeling like she belongs in the Sohma clan. There is one part where onigiri is called and she runs up to play with her classmates. It means she starts feeling like she isn't the onigiri that is left out, but somebody that actually has a place where she belongs, hence the name Fruits Basket.
During the course of the story, lines spoken by members of the Sohma clan are often illustrated by a super deformed (SD) head of the corresponding animal: for example, when Yuki speaks from off-screen a small rat head might appear, and when Kyo snaps in reply there might be an angry cat face. Uotani and Hanajima's SD heads are based on their names and are a fish and a flower, respectively (although at the beginning of the manga, before the Sohma curse was revealed, Shigure and Yuki's SD were shown as the first letter of their names enclosed in a circle). As the series goes on, Tohru's comments are illustrated in the same way with an animated onigiri, illustrating that although Tohru might have been rejected by classmates at school, she has found a place she can belong with the Sohma family.
The phrase "fruits basket" means simply a basket of fruit in Japan. In Japan, where arable land is in short supply and fresh food very expensive, a basket of fresh fruit is a costly and desirable item. It is written in Japanese as フルーツバスケット, fu-ru-u-tsu-ba-su-ke-t-to, where the 'tsu' kana represents the 'ts' in "fruits", making it plural.
The series is named after a game, Fruits Basket, in which everyone sits in a circle, and the leader of the game names each person after a type of fruit; when the name of a child's fruit is called, that child gets up and has to find a new seat. When Tohru first played this game in kindergarten, she was assigned "Onigiri" (rice ball), which was fine with her, since she always thought that onigiris are delicious. However, everyone but her was called, and she was the only one left sitting when she realized that an onigiri isn't a fruit and that she'd never be called. She was purposefully excluded from the game -- another one of the mean tricks that other kids used to pull on her. She realizes that an onigiri can never belong in a Fruits Basket, even one time saying, "A rice ball doesn't belong in a fruits basket". Then Tohru starts feeling like she belongs in the Sohma clan. There is one part where onigiri is called and she runs up to play with her classmates. It means she starts feeling like she isn't the onigiri that is left out, but somebody that actually has a place where she belongs, hence the name Fruits Basket.
During the course of the story, lines spoken by members of the Sohma clan are often illustrated by a super deformed (SD) head of the corresponding animal: for example, when Yuki speaks from off-screen a small rat head might appear, and when Kyo snaps in reply there might be an angry cat face. Uotani and Hanajima's SD heads are based on their names and are a fish and a flower, respectively (although at the beginning of the manga, before the Sohma curse was revealed, Shigure and Yuki's SD were shown as the first letter of their names enclosed in a circle). As the series goes on, Tohru's comments are illustrated in the same way with an animated onigiri, illustrating that although Tohru might have been rejected by classmates at school, she has found a place she can belong with the Sohma family.
Rejection and Acceptance
Many characters experience some kind of alienation, either from society or their own families. Tohru Honda, the main character, has always been somewhat of an outcast, evidenced by her exclusion from her classmates games and their teasing as a child. Another very prominent case of isolation is Kyo Sohma's. Kyo, as the person possessed by the spirit of the cat, has been shunned by the Sohma family since he was born. Many other characters, including Momiji and Rin, have been rejected by their parents.
Many characters, however, find acceptance during the run of the story. Tohru finds the Sohmas, who all cherish her like family. Kyo finds Tohru, who loves him despite his faults. The same is true for the majority of the other characters, such as Hiro, who finds acceptance from his mother, an overenthusiastic parent, as well as Kisa, the girl he loves.
Many characters experience some kind of alienation, either from society or their own families. Tohru Honda, the main character, has always been somewhat of an outcast, evidenced by her exclusion from her classmates games and their teasing as a child. Another very prominent case of isolation is Kyo Sohma's. Kyo, as the person possessed by the spirit of the cat, has been shunned by the Sohma family since he was born. Many other characters, including Momiji and Rin, have been rejected by their parents.
Many characters, however, find acceptance during the run of the story. Tohru finds the Sohmas, who all cherish her like family. Kyo finds Tohru, who loves him despite his faults. The same is true for the majority of the other characters, such as Hiro, who finds acceptance from his mother, an overenthusiastic parent, as well as Kisa, the girl he loves.
Gender Stereotypes/Identity
This series plays on the issue of gender roles and identity with a number of different characters. For example, several male characters cross-dress or display a higher than 'normal' level of femininity.
The most vivid (and secretive) case of a gender identity issue occurs with the head of the Sohma family, Akito. Traditionally, the head of the family in Japanese culture is male, so when the Sohma family discovers that the child who is to be the god-spirit for the cursed members of the Sohma family is to be a female, Akito's mother insists that they raise her as a male. (She insists this for a number of reasons, but the reason that Akito's mother gives that we are concerned with is that it would "cause problems" for their family to have a female heir.) For this reason, Akito has been raised to behave and let others know her as a male despite her biological gender being contrary to that. This secret is known to only a few select members of the family.
Examples of cross-dressing occur with the characters Momiji, Ayame, and Ritsu Sohma. Yuki, an already feminine-looking character, is dressed up in a girl's outfit during a school function (much to his dismay), Momiji prefers wearing girl's clothes and even goes so far as to only wear a girl's uniform to his high school, Ayame, a 'fashion' designer, embraces his feminine looks and choice of attire, and Ritsu, a very insecure character, finds himself most comfortable when wearing women's clothes.
This series plays on the issue of gender roles and identity with a number of different characters. For example, several male characters cross-dress or display a higher than 'normal' level of femininity.
The most vivid (and secretive) case of a gender identity issue occurs with the head of the Sohma family, Akito. Traditionally, the head of the family in Japanese culture is male, so when the Sohma family discovers that the child who is to be the god-spirit for the cursed members of the Sohma family is to be a female, Akito's mother insists that they raise her as a male. (She insists this for a number of reasons, but the reason that Akito's mother gives that we are concerned with is that it would "cause problems" for their family to have a female heir.) For this reason, Akito has been raised to behave and let others know her as a male despite her biological gender being contrary to that. This secret is known to only a few select members of the family.
Examples of cross-dressing occur with the characters Momiji, Ayame, and Ritsu Sohma. Yuki, an already feminine-looking character, is dressed up in a girl's outfit during a school function (much to his dismay), Momiji prefers wearing girl's clothes and even goes so far as to only wear a girl's uniform to his high school, Ayame, a 'fashion' designer, embraces his feminine looks and choice of attire, and Ritsu, a very insecure character, finds himself most comfortable when wearing women's clothes.
Suppression
Because of the curse, many people who would be happy together cannot admit their feelings, or else must leave them behind. Hatori and Kana, Hatori and Mayuko, Kisa and Hiro, Rin and Haru, and Kureno and Arisa Uotani are some examples.
Because of the curse, many people who would be happy together cannot admit their feelings, or else must leave them behind. Hatori and Kana, Hatori and Mayuko, Kisa and Hiro, Rin and Haru, and Kureno and Arisa Uotani are some examples.
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